Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Daniela Polic, Yeserin Yildirim, Kyung Min Lee, Markus Franzen, Marko Mutanen, Roger Vila, Anders Forsman
Summary: This study investigated the genetic structure and its association with geographical and climatic factors in three butterfly species. The results showed differences between species in genetic structure and how it was associated with climate. Geographical proximity played a significant role in genetic structure and evolutionary relationships. Solar radiation and precipitation were associated with genetic structure on a regional scale, but the specific combinations of factors linked to variation within species were unique. The findings highlight the importance of comparative phylogeographical studies in sympatric sister species.
Article
Geography, Physical
Michael R. Waters, Joshua L. Keene, Elton R. Prewitt, Mark E. Everett, Tyler Laughlin, Thomas W. Stafford
Summary: Hall's Cave in Texas contains a sediment record dating from the Last Glacial Maximum through the Holocene, showing correlations with environmental and climatic shifts over the past 20,000 years. The sediments preserve well-documented paleontological and paleoecological records, as well as an archaeological record from approximately 10,500 years ago to the Historic period. Human use of the cave was episodic and linked to environmental factors, with evidence of increasing use throughout the Holocene.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Bruno David, Lee J. Arnold, Jean-Jacques Delannoy, Joanna Freslov, Chris Urwin, Fiona Petchey, Matthew C. McDowell, Russell Mullett, Jerome Mialanes, Rachel Wood, Joe Crouch, Johan Berthet, Vanessa N. L. Wong, Helen Green, John Hellstrom
Summary: The latest research on Cloggs Cave reveals that the youngest megafaunal specimens date back to 44,500-54,160 years ago, more than previously believed, aligning with the continental pattern of megafaunal extinctions. This suggests that the extinction of these megafauna could not have been caused by climate change leading into the Last Glacial Maximum.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2021)
Review
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Ana Garcia-vazquez, Ana Cristina Pinto-llona, Julia Maroto, Trinidad Torres, Aurora Grandal-d'anglade
Summary: The identification of bone fragments using peptide mass fingerprinting or mass spectrometry is becoming a powerful tool in Quaternary palaeontology. The use of mass spectrometry allows for the studying of variations in amino acid sequences in bone collagen, which can be used for taxonomic purposes. However, no peptide fingerprint taxonomic study has specifically focused on the cave bear species. This study investigates the bone collagen of cave and brown bear samples using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI TOF) and in-silico analysis.
EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Adrian Marciszak, Jan Wagner, Rene Kysely, Lena Matyaszczyk, Martina Roblickova, Ales Plichta, Vlastislav Kana
Summary: The brown bear Ursus arctos was widespread in the Czech Republic during the Late Pleistocene, with earliest evidence dating back to 46,000 years ago. However, the species was not present in the territory of the Czech Republic during the coldest period. During the Late Pleistocene, the arctos ecomorph of the brown bear was rarely recorded, while a highly carnivorous priscus ecomorph adapted to live in open grasslands was more common. As time progressed, the number of brown bear dates increased during the Holocene, coinciding with progressive afforestation and the disappearance of the priscus ecomorph.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Yeajee Kwon, Sera Park, Jaeok Lee, Jiyeon Kang, Hwa Jeong Lee, Wankyu Kim
Summary: Data-driven drug discovery utilizes big data to efficiently develop new drugs. BEAR, a novel in silico method, predicts hit compounds for different targets by reusing bioassay data. It outperforms other machine learning models and accurately predicts known ligands.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL INFORMATION AND MODELING
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Lillian M. Spencer, Eric Scott
Summary: Natural Trap Cave (NTC) contains a diverse collection of late Pleistocene herbivore remains. The study focuses on the diet and resource partitioning of equids and Ovis using mesowear data obtained from tooth samples. The results suggest that equids and Ovis had different diets, supporting the hypothesis of resource partitioning among grass-feeders at NTC.
QUATERNARY INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Chiara Belli, Valentina Caracuta, Mina Weinstein-Evron, Reuven Yeshurun, Elisabetta Boaretto, Dani Nadel
Summary: Raqefet Cave in southeast Mount Carmel, Israel, has a long archaeological sequence from the early Upper Paleolithic to the Late Epipaleolithic. By analyzing dated almond charcoal, researchers reconstructed Late Pleistocene precipitation patterns, showing fluctuations within the range of modern east Mediterranean climate.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Megan L. Smith, Jessica Wallace, David C. Tank, Jack Sullivan, Bryan C. Carstens
Summary: This study examines the impact of Pleistocene glacial cycles on the distribution and genetic structure of endemic invertebrate species in the Pacific Northwest. The results show that glacial periods reduced habitat suitability and increased habitat fragmentation, leading to intraspecific divergence and secondary contact between populations. The findings suggest that refugial dynamics played a significant role in driving population structure and gene flow in these species.
Article
Robotics
Pavel Petracek, Vit Kratky, Matej Petrlik, Tomas Baca, Radim Kratochvil, Martin Saska
Summary: This letter introduces a self-contained system for utilizing aerial robots in autonomous exploration of cave environments, connecting crucial robotic subsystems for full autonomy. The system is designed for various exploration tasks in unknown cave environments, allowing for multiple exploration strategies.
IEEE ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Natalya E. Prilepskaya, Olga P. Bachura, Gennady F. Baryshnikov
Summary: This study used cementum and dentine increment analysis to investigate the remains of cave bears from European Russia, the Urals and the Caucasus. The results showed that the majority of the cave bear remains belonged to adult and old animals, and the damage to dental crowns may be related to age, conflict between males, and food abrasion. Furthermore, the increment analysis indicated that the cave bears visited the caves year-round. These findings raise new questions in the study of the ecology of cave bears.
Article
Geography, Physical
Vitale S. Sparacello, Irene Dori, Stefano Rossi, Alessandra Varalli, Julien Riel-Salvatore, Claudine Gravel-Miguel, Alessandro Riga, Francesca Seghi, Gwenaelle Goude, Sanne W. L. Palstra, Elisabetta Starnini, Vincenzo Formicola, Jacopo Moggi-Cecchi
Summary: The Arene Candide Cave in northwestern Italy is a renowned site that has yielded numerous burials dating back to the terminal phases of the Pleistocene. The exceptional preservation of remains and information from excavations beginning in the 1940s allowed researchers to reconstruct a complex pattern of burial manipulation. The Epigravettian necropolis sheds light on funerary behavior during the Late Upper Paleolithic, with potential links to exceptional events and individuals.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Maayan Lev, Ron Shimelmitz, Mina Weinstein-Evron, Reuven Yeshurun
Summary: This paper aims to reconstruct the long-term paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic records of the Middle and Late Pleistocene Nahal Me'arot, Mount Carmel, Israel, using the archaeological herpetofauna assemblages. The study shows changes in temperature and humidity and their correlation with different hominin populations in the site. However, correlating with regional off-site records remains challenging.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
L. Alessandri, G. L. Cardello, P. A. J. Attema, V Baiocchi, F. De Angelis, S. Del Pizzo, F. Di Ciaccio, A. Fiorillo, M. Gatta, F. Monti, M. Onori, M. F. Rolfo, M. Romboni, G. Sottili, S. Troisi
Summary: Caves are conservative environments where archaeological, anthropological, climatic, and tectonic data can be well-preserved. The multidisciplinary study on La Sassa cave in the Apennines reveals interactions between Late Pleistocene to Anthropocene neotectonics and archaeological evolution, shedding light on faulting chronology, cultural boundaries, and seismic hazard implications in the region.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Weitao Chen, Nicolas Hubert, Yuefei Li, Denggao Xiang, Xingwei Cai, Shuli Zhu, Jiping Yang, Chuanjiang Zhou, Xinhui Li, Jie Li
Summary: Geographical scale affects the efficiency of DNA barcoding by influencing genetic distances and uncovering hidden diversity among species. A study on Culterinae subfamily provides new insights into taxonomic and phylogeographical aspects, revealing cryptic diversity and mismatches between morphological and molecular delimitations.
Article
Anthropology
C. Gravel-Miguel, E. Cristiani, J. Hodgkins, C. M. Orr, D. S. Strait, M. Peresani, S. Benazzi, G. Pothier-Bouchard, H. M. Keller, D. Meyer, D. Drohobytsky, S. Talamo, D. Panetta, A. Zupancich, C. E. Miller, F. Negrino, J. Riel-Salvatore
Summary: Personal ornaments are considered important symbols of social identity and individuality. This article presents a detailed analysis of the ornaments found in association with an Early Mesolithic buried infant, providing insights into their use, perforation, and their deposition in the grave. The study sheds light on the use of beads in the Early Mesolithic period and their significance to young individuals.
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL METHOD AND THEORY
(2023)
Article
Anthropology
Ivo Verheijen, Britt M. Starkovich, Jordi Serangeli, Thijs van Kolfschoten, Nicholas J. Conard
Summary: A cutmarked bear metatarsal and phalanx from German open-air sites provide early evidence for the exploitation of bear skins during the interglacial optimum of MIS 9. This finding suggests bear hunting and primary access to bear skins shortly after the animal's death. The delicate cutmarks found on the specimens indicate similarities in butchery patterns to bears from other Paleolithic sites.
JOURNAL OF HUMAN EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Jiao Ma, Boyang Sun, Herve Bocherens, Tao Deng
Summary: This study conducted stable isotope analysis to investigate dietary niche turnover of five equid species in the Linxia Basin, northwestern China, during a critical phase in their evolution. The results revealed that Proboscidipparion pater mainly fed on C3 grasses while Cremohipparion licenti and Sivalhippus platyodus may have been mixed feeders. However, Cremohipparion licenti and Sivalhippus platyodus went extinct due to climatic changes. Additionally, Proboscidipparion sinense showed a stronger grazing preference compared to coexisting Equus eisenmannae.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Margherita Mussi, Eduardo Mendez-Quintas, Doris Barboni, Herve Bocherens, Raymonde Bonnefille, Giuseppe Briatico, Denis Geraads, Rita T. Melis, Joaquin Panera, Laura Pioli, Andrea Serodio Dominguez, Susana Rubio Jara
Summary: The authors discovered a specialized obsidian handaxe workshop at Simbiro III in Ethiopia, indicating that early hominins more than 1.2 million years ago took advantage of changing environmental conditions. They argue that at Simbiro III, hominins were not simply reacting to environmental changes, but rather, were actively exploiting new opportunities and developing new techniques and skills. The statistical analysis of the stone tools found at the site suggests that this was a focused activity and a stone-tool workshop.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Bogdan Jaroszewicz, Eric Coissac, Pierre Taberlet, Magdalena Czajkowska, Magdalena Swislocka, Rafal Kowalczyk, Miroslaw Ratkiewicz
Summary: Many plants develop fruits to attract animals for seed dispersion, but some plants with endozoochoric seed dispersion do not have attractive fruits. The Foliage is the Fruit (FF) hypothesis proposes that the entire biomass of plants exists to encourage herbivores to consume them, enhancing seed intake and dispersion. A study tested the FF hypothesis by combining greenhouse seedling emergence and DNA metabarcoding analysis of moose feces, and found that the species composition revealed by the methods did not largely overlap, suggesting a disagreement with the FF hypothesis.
ACTA OECOLOGICA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Cosimo Posth, He Yu, Ayshin Ghalichi, Helene Rougier, Isabelle Crevecoeur, Yilei Huang, Harald Ringbauer, Adam B. Rohrlach, Kathrin Nagele, Vanessa Villalba-Mouco, Rita Radzeviciute, Tiago Ferraz, Alexander Stoessel, Rezeda Tukhbatova, Dorothee G. Drucker, Martina Lari, Alessandra Modi, Stefania Vai, Tina Saupe, Christiana L. Scheib, Giulio Catalano, Luca Pagani, Sahra Talamo, Helen Fewlass, Laurent Klaric, Andre Morala, Mathieu Rue, Stephane Madelaine, Laurent Crepin, Jean-Baptiste Caverne, Emmy Bocaege, Stefano Ricci, Francesco Boschin, Priscilla Bayle, Bruno Maureille, Foni Le Brun-Ricalens, Jean-Guillaume Bordes, Gregorio Oxilia, Eugenio Bortolini, Olivier Bignon-Lau, Gregory Debout, Michel Orliac, Antoine Zazzo, Vitale Sparacello, Elisabetta Starnini, Luca Sineo, Johannes van der Plicht, Laure Pecqueur, Gildas Merceron, Geraldine Garcia, Jean-Michel Leuvrey, Coralie Bay Garcia, Asier Gomez-Olivencia, Marta Poltowicz-Bobak, Dariusz Bobak, Mona Le Luyer, Paul Storm, Claudia Hoffmann, Jacek Kabacinski, Tatiana Filimonova, Svetlana Shnaider, Natalia Berezina, Borja Gonzalez-Rabanal, Manuel Gonzalez R. Morales, Ana B. Marin-Arroyo, Belen Lopez, Carmen Alonso-Llamazares, Annamaria Ronchitelli, Caroline Polet, Ivan Jadin, Nicolas Cauwe, Joaquim Soler, Neus Coromina, Isaac Rufi, Richard Cottiaux, Geoffrey Clark, Lawrence G. Straus, Marie-Anne Julien, Silvia Renhart, Dorothea Talaa, Stefano Benazzi, Matteo Romandini, Luc Amkreutz, Herve Bocherens, Christoph Wissing, Sebastien Villotte, Javier Fernandez-Lopez de Pablo, Magdalena Gomez-Puche, Marco Aurelio Esquembre-Bebia, Pierre Bodu, Liesbeth Smits, Benedicte Souffi, Rimantas Jankauskas, Justina Kozakaite, Christophe Cupillard, Hartmut Benthien, Kurt Wehrberger, Ralf W. Schmitz, Susanne C. Feine, Tim Schueler, Corinne Thevenet, Dan Grigorescu, Friedrich Lueth, Andreas Kotula, Henny Piezonka, Franz Schopper, Jiri Svoboda, Sandra Sazelova, Andrey Chizhevsky, Aleksandr Khokhlov, Nicholas J. Conard, Frederique Valentin, Katerina Harvati, Patrick Semal, Bettina Jungklaus, Alexander Suvorov, Rick Schulting, Vyacheslav Moiseyev, Kristiina Mannermaa, Alexandra Buzhilova, Thomas Terberger, David Caramelli, Eveline Altena, Wolfgang Haak, Johannes Krause
Summary: By analyzing ancient hunter-gatherer genomes from western and central Eurasia, this study uncovers genetic changes and migrations during the human colonization of Europe. The Last Glacial Maximum led to population replacements in southern Europe and gene flow between western and eastern European hunter-gatherers.
Article
Geography, Physical
Letizia Ceregatti, Claudio Berto, Helen Fewlass, Mateusz Baca, Elisa Luzi, Greta Brancaleoni, Andrea Pereswiet-Soltan, Marco Peresani
Summary: Recent advances in paleoecological reconstruction methods, collagen extraction of small bone samples, and ancient DNA analyses have led to new approaches to improve the chronological resolution of climate reconstructions from small mammal assemblages. Through the study of Grotta della Ferrovia in Italy, it was found that the climate in the area gradually shifted from a cold phase to conditions similar to the present during the Late Epigravettian.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
T. Cucchi, H. Harbers, D. Neaux, M. Balasse, L. Garbe, D. Fiorillo, H. Bocherens, D. Drucker, C. Zanolli, R. Cornette, R. M. Arbogast, S. Brehard, A. Bridault, L. Gourichon, J. Guilaine, C. Manen, T. Perrin, R. Schafberg, A. Tresset, J. D. Vigne, A. Herrel
Summary: Evolutionary biologists seek the help of archaeologists to understand the morphological evolution of animals in response to human activities. The impact of domestication and dispersal on animal morphology has been understudied.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ana B. Marin-Arroyo, Gabriele Terlato, Marco Vidal-Cordasco, Marco Peresani
Summary: This article presents the subsistence strategies adopted by early modern humans in expanding throughout Eurasia, with a focus on the Protoaurignacian groups in Fumane Cave in northern Italy. The study reveals that these groups occupied the cave during the period of and Coping with significant climate changes. They mainly relied on hunting ibex and chamois in nearby areas in a cold environment with open landscapes and patchy woodlands. The findings highlight the adaptability and resilience of early modern humans in different environments affected by climate fluctuations.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Chris Baumann, Shumon T. Hussain, Martina Roblickova, Felix Riede, Marcello A. Mannino, Herve Bocherens
Summary: The authors report isotopic data from ravens from Pavlovian archaeological sites, suggesting that ravens had a similar diet to humans at these sites, indicating an early form of synanthropism. The researchers argue that ravens were attracted to human settlements and were potentially captured for feathers and food. The stable isotope analysis also shows that ravens primarily fed on larger herbivores, aligning with the diet of contemporaneous Gravettian foragers.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Sophie G. G. Habinger, Olivier Chavasseau, Stephane Ducrocq, Yaowalak Chaimanee, Jean-Jacques Jaeger, Chit Sein, Aung Naing Soe, Samuel Stern, Herve Bocherens
Summary: By analyzing the fossil mammal assemblage from Pondaung Fm. in Myanmar, this study investigated the ecological characteristics and found ecological differences and various microhabitats within the mammal community. Most primate taxa were found in both described environments, indicating their strong ecological flexibility.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Marco Vidal-Cordasco, Gabriele Terlato, David Ocio, Ana B. Marin-Arroyo
Summary: This study reveals that climate change and the arrival of modern humans had an impact on the disappearance of Neanderthals. Neanderthals vanished before or just after the arrival of Homo sapiens in areas with low or unstable ecosystem productivity, while regions with high and stable productivity witnessed a prolonged coexistence between the two species. The abundance of herbivores played a significant role in releasing the trophic pressure and affected the likelihood of coexistence between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens.
Article
Anthropology
Diana Marcazzan, Christopher E. Miller, Bertrand Ligouis, Rossella Duches, Nicholas J. Conard, Marco Peresani
Summary: This study presents a detailed analysis of combustion features from Middle and Upper Paleolithic occupations at the Fumane cave site in Italy. The results show that only a few features are intact hearths, while others have been modified through anthropogenic activities. Additionally, the study reveals the presence of multi-layered features indicating various activities related to combustion and site maintenance. The analysis also indicates a decrease in the frequency of combustion features throughout the Mousterian period, with more well-defined and multi-layered features associated with the Protoaurignacian occupation.
JOURNAL OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Marta Kolodziej-Sobocinska, Aleksander W. Demiaszkiewicz, Katarzyna Filip-Hutsch, Tomasz Borowik, Rafa l Kowalczyk
Summary: Parasitic infections in wildlife are influenced by factors related to wildlife management, such as supplementary feeding and winter ranging behavior. This study analyzed the impact of supplementary feeding and winter ranging of European bison herds on the infection dynamics and severity of Ashworthius sidemi, a blood-sucking nematode. The results showed that European bison fed with supplementary feeding had higher parasitic load compared to non-fed individuals, and different management strategies influenced the spread and dynamics of the parasite.
JOURNAL FOR NATURE CONSERVATION
(2023)